1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector device for IC card to be mounted in an apparatus which is used by inserting and pulling the IC card into and out of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a connector device for IC card substantially comprises a pin header having a large number of pin contacts to be connected to socket contacts disposed in the IC card, the pin contacts being disposed in a pin housing, a frame for guarding the IC card when inserted or ejected, and an ejection mechanism for ejecting from the pin contacts the IC card as inserted. There also is known a connector device for IC card wherein the housing and the frame are formed in one piece with each other.
Widely adopted heretofore is a connector device for IC card wherein the ejection mechanism is made up of a push rod held on an outside face of a frame so as to be reciprocatable in the direction in which the IC card is inserted and ejected, and an ejection lever supported pivotably by the frame or a pin housing, one end portion of the ejection lever being engaged with the push rod.
In a connector device for IC card having such an ejection mechanism, when the push rod is pushed with the IC card inserted, a pawl portion of the ejection lever which rotates interlockedly with the push rod pushes the IC card to the user's side, thus permitting the IC card to be pulled out easily with fingers of the user. However, if the push rod as projected should be operated erroneously, the IC card being connected to the connector device is ejected against the user's will.
On the other hand, a connector device for IC card disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. Hei 6-13072 is provided with first and second transfer levers which are linked between a push rod and a slide plate, a third transfer lever pivotally secured to the first transfer lever and capable of being engaged with and disengaged from the second transfer lever, and a heart cam mechanism capable of holding the push rod at both push-in position and first projecting position. Pushing force of the push rod is transmitted selectively to the slide plate in proportion to the amount of projection of the push rod.
More particularly, with an IC card inserted, the push rod is held at the push-in position and the third transfer lever is not in engagement with the second transfer lever, but if the push rod is projected up to the first projecting position by the heart cam mechanism and is thereafter pulled up to a second projecting position closer to the user side, the third transfer lever comes into engagement with the second transfer lever at the second projecting position. In this state, therefore, if the push rod is pushed toward the push-in position, the pushing force is transmitted to the slide plate through each transfer lever, so that the slide plate pushes the IC card toward the user side.
Thus, during connection of the IC card, the push rod is held at the push-in position, and only when the IC card is to be discharged, the push rod is projected up to the second projecting position, whereby the IC card can be prevented from being ejected against the user's will.
According to the connector device for IC card disclosed in the foregoing unexamined publication, as described above, the push rod is held at the push-in position during connection of the IC card, and only at the time of ejection of the IC card the push rod is projected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the IC card from being discharged against the user's will. Besides, even if the push rod should be projected by mistake though there is no need to discharge the IC card, what should be done is pushing the push rod from the first projecting position without pulling it up to the second projecting position, whereby the push rod is again held at the push-in position without ejection of the IC card and thus the improvement of operability can be attained.
However, since three transfer levers, which are linked together, are disposed between the push rod and the slide plate and the pushing force of the push rod is transmitted to the slide plate or is cut off according to postures of those transfer levers, it is necessary to ensure a wide space for rotation of the transfer levers, that is, the reduction in size of the connector device for IC card is obstructed.
For the above reason, the transfer levers are inevitably required to be disposed on the top or bottom side of an IC card inlet port. Particularly, in the case of a connector device for IC card permitting insertion and ejection of two or more IC cards, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient space and stack plural sets of transfer levers therein vertically, thus giving rise to the problem that the connector device for IC card becomes large-sized also in the vertical direction.
Further, operations are required three times during the usual IC card ejecting motion, which are an operation for causing the push rod held at the push-in position to be projected up to the first projecting position, an operation for pulling out the push rod from the first projecting position up to the second projecting position, and an operation for pushing the push rod from the second projecting position to the push-in position. Thus, there arises the problem that the usual IC card ejecting motion requiring frequent operations becomes more complicated.